Myofascial pain (chronic muscle pain) refers to the pain or inflammation affecting the fascia or connective tissue that covers either single muscles or muscle groups in the body. This pain may be due to injury caused by increased strain on a muscle, ligament, or tendon, which leads to damage of the muscle fibers. The actual site of the injury prompts a trigger point of pain that is felt in other areas, known as referred pain. There are active and latent trigger points. Active points are tender and painful areas located within the muscle, while a latent trigger point is a dormant or inactive area that causes muscle weakness or restricted movements.
Myofascial pain is treated with pain relievers, physical therapy, and, more specifically, myofascial release therapy or massage therapy. For severe cases, trigger point injections containing local anesthetic drugs or steroids are injected in trigger points to inactivate them.
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